"Bad Seed" is a delicious collection of wonderfully creepy stories. Harry Shannon has created a fresh approach to the horror story - he has successfully blended it with elements of the noir genre, endowing each of these tales with the added ingredients of both realism and relevance. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Harry Shannon's "Bad Seed" packs the most punch you could ever hope for out of any collection of short stories, with plenty of gruesome detail and nasty characters to boot. Some of the tales are reminiscent of Stephen King, while others are in the vein of Elmore Leonard. Shannon quickly and adeptly develops his characters, moving each plot along at a heart-stopping pace, often taking hairpin turns to a shocking and unpredictble climax. The narration works well in that it often makes you feel as though you're at a campfire, in the middle of nowhere, or perhaps in a bar, hearing the nastiest yet most compelling stories from some strange local barfly. This makes for an eerie feeling all throughout the book. All-in-all, "Bad Seed" is a more-than-thoroughly satisfying collection that never fails to deliver in its content. But be careful: you could have nightmares after reading this! (i.e. Don't read right before going to sleep!)

Shannon's stories are bullets that hit the mark. Mostly crime/noir, with a sprinkling of horror, these tales are filled with seedy characters who really come to life (at least until they get killed) and settings so gritty I had to check under my fingernails after I'd turned a few pages. The direct, driving style and unpredictability make this book hard to put down. Some of my personal favorites also confronted deeply meaningful issues -- the tragic effects of alcoholism on a man and his family, war and the universality of death.

If you'd like to be entertained, moved, even haunted -- put on your bullet-proof vest and pick up BAD SEED.

A Michael Connelly endorsement led me to this one.

I simply either didn't get it or didn't like it...probably a combination of both.

I found it too dark, depressing, bleak, unfun and almost hopeless. I love the LA crime novels of Michael Connelly, Raymond Chandler and Robert Crais, but this was "too out there" for me.

Seeing all the five star reviews made me wonder if I was missing something. But, most of them are from California folks. So maybe it wasn't meant for me in the first place. Perhaps one needs to have the California experience to appreciate this. In any event this Florida reader didn't enjoy it.

John Shannon is gutsy. He's decided to show all of us mystery readers that the genre can be expanded in multi-dimensional ways. Pushed out of its comfortable confines, and layered to include social history, economic and environmental awareness, and human drama. Less of a "Who Dunnit?" than a "Why Dunnit?" and a fun read. Sure, it's weird, noir, existential fun. But that's L.A.

In the third of what I hope is a long, long series, Jack Liffey is trying to find a missing kid. A cult scene, corporate corruption, and a disaster that has something to do with the book's title get in his way, as do sad, but true traffic jams caused by grand pianos and dead Guernsey bulls. Just another day in Paradise.

Shannon may swear "I am not making this up," wink, wink, nod, nod. And the cool thing is that most of the time, he isn't.

If you're looking for a new mystery series to sink your teeth into, check out John Shannon's Jack Liffey books. Like the previous two, this one has all the ingredients that, in my view, make for a wonderful read in this genre. There is a multi-layered case that has Liffey, finder of kids who are lost in more ways than one, mired in yet another of the seamy communities that roil behind the glitzy facade of Los Angeles; memorable characters; and a well-crafted story that involves religious freaks, industrial poison and corporate corruption. How can you go wrong! I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I am not one for books that are long winded just to add more pages to the book. I would rather have something that is concise, clearly worded and two the point in such a creative manner. This book fits all of these points. For anyone that wants to know about The Bill of Rights, then this is your book.

The author writes very well. I like this book because it was very interesting. It was very informative. I did not know who we have misused our Bill of Rights.

I am in the Fourth Grade, and this will help me with my class work. I will be able to go back to this book many times for help in the next years.

With so many diffrent opinions on how to interpret the Bill of Rights, it is nice to see a clear, and concise interpritation by Mrs. Fallon. I may not agree with all points by the author but I truely enjoyed the elegance, and the simplicity of her writing style . If all educators put as much care into their teaching about the Bill of Rights as Mrs. Fallon did with her writing of it,this country would be far better off. Use the information in this book and combine it with all you know and have a better understanding of the Constitution.

The photos in this book are very nice, but everyone featured is inexplicably barefoot. Not only that, but feet feature prominently within these pages. Weird. Anyway, as another reviewer mentioned, the text is riddled with errors even a casual fan shouldn't miss. If you can tolerate these problems, then you might like htis one.

This is an awesome book!!! I am a gymnast myself and usually find any other books about gymnastics besides Biographies or Autobiographies about gymmnastics seem to have incorrect information in them. But not this book, this book is great and it is cool to see all the people in that book that I have met and see what they really think.

It is obvious that Christina Lessa understood that the world of a gymanst goes well beyond public performances. She has done a fabulous job capturing the essence of each gymnast featured, in ways unexpected and fascinating. She has set asside "fact sheets" and scores and has captured what drives them to be great as gymnasts as well as unique and focused individuals. Easy to read and filled with great photos, this book would be a great addition to anyone's coffe table! It has also become one of my favorite books to give as a gift...specially to anyone involved in sports.

There is much to commend in this book. The sheer scope and breadth of subjects it covers are amazing. The premise of the book is interesting and novel: a fictional version of Plato's Academy debating the issues at hand in a series of questions and answers. However, many issues are covered too glibly, especially ones dealing with quantum mechanics and unified theories. Another problem is Tony Rothman's prose stylization of the material. George Sudarshan, the scientist of the writing duo, does an admirable job of explaining the properties, but much of the information is mangled by Rothman's antic writing and examples. It makes the book seem gimmicky, and much of it, truthfully, is bad, ornery writing that almost single-handedly hampers the book's service to inform the reader. The book has its merits of covering a vast amount of scientific knowledge, and is even entertaining to read in spurts. But if you're looking for books that deal with subjects more in-depth and appropriately, or those that are written in more truthful, elegant prose, look elsewhere.

Similar books by Hawking, Penrose, Capra and others usually present their authors' views. This book also tackles the fundamental questions (Is reality describable? Is math describing it? Symmetries? Arrow of time? etc) but also presents notable opinions from other physicists and philosophers. This way the reader gets a great overview.

This book is undoubtedly a landmark in the history of scientific literature. Written by two world class physicists steeped in Wetsern and Eastern thought and cultures, the book achieves a unique synthesis of brilliant and thought provoking ideas on an astonishing range of scientific questions.

One marvels at how the authors offer penetrating analyses on some of the most difficult and fundamental scientific questions of our time, dispassionately presenting every point of view, and yet stopping short of imposing their own dogmas.

Lucidly written and liberally illustrated with figures, this book will tantalize both the scientifc novice and the expert, presenting its vast possibilities on the one hand, while simultaneously exposing its limitations on the other.

This is an extraordinary book and a "must read" for anyone interested in science and philosophy.

I have read a few Shannon Drake romances, and I have come to the conclusion that she is an ok writer. She has written some novels that I love like Branded Hearts, No Other Love, and Seize The Dawn.

Unfortunately she has written some very disturbing stories with this tame and conquer theme that I do not like at all like The Kings Pleasure, Conquer the Night, and Lie Down In Roses. The hero and heroine are on opposite sides of a nationwide battle. The heroine ends up either imprisoned by the hero or forced to marry him, while she is still true to her cause. The hero uses rape as one of his methods of discipline, and he always ruthlessly imposes his will on the heroine for the duration of the story. The heroine ends up falling in love with the hero despite his treatment of her.

Unfortunately, Princess of Fire falls into this category. I simply do not like reading about the hero ripping the heroines clothes off and tieing her to his bed, or locking her up. I understand that the heroine was in danger from the new king if she caused trouble, but the hero was pretty brutal and degrading to the heroine for me to stand. I gave this story three stars because it is well written and the historical details are well researched.

This book had every thing you could ask for. The persinlities of the 2 leed carictors were very well writen. You will fall in love with Alaric and fallon. The book will keep you turning the pages and gasping as Fallon findes her self tempeted by her father's followers. And when you meet Eric you know he will be back and when he comes back you will gasp with horor for the shocking turn the book takes. This story will keep you guessing to the last pages! A must read for any one who loves historical romance!

I am an avid fan and collector of Shannon Drake books and thought that this book was wonderful and exciting! Yes, people may be disturbed by some of the content, but that was what happened back then! I find the way the men conquer the women to be exciting and interesting. In fact I found this book so wonderful that I named my newborn son Alaric after the hero. I think if people don't agree with the content of violence in romance, then they should read Harlequin or books that don't contain explicit sexual situations. But, if you don't mind that kind of stuff and like a little bit of the erotic themes than these books are for you!

This was a most unique story. I have always enjoyed time travel romances but this one has a twist. The hero has traveled 500 years into the future but not as a man but as a statue. He is the exact replica of the "David" by Michelangelo, but smaller. He is discovered by the heroine Honoria Psyche Fitzhugh, aka Honor. Honor has just announced her discovery to the world only to have it declared a fake and her career is in ruins. She is saying good-bye to the statue when her tears bring him to life. Dominico Castiglione, Dom, was trapped in stone until the tears of a virgin awaken him right before the year 2000 so that he can find his long lost realtive and help him. Honor agrees to help him and together they flee to New York where they try and find Rafe, Dom's relative. The also are helped along the way by Honor's friend Ernie and his brother Nick. Dom must find his family or be lost forever but he must also fight the struggle to remain honorable and not take Honor. He wants her and she him. They love each other but Dom cannot bring himself to soil her. Honor is confused and hurt but know no matter what happens she will not regret anything that she and Dom do.

This is a exciting story that keeps the reader guessing how it will turn out. I liked the ending and I look forward to the sequel "Heaven's Hero". I also hope their are others in the series.

It is so nice to stumble upon a writer who gives free reign to their imagination, and comes up with an original plot. The premise for this story is refreshing and well thought out. Unfortunately, thus saying, I felt that there are many weak points in the book itself. (Which is why I have only giving it a 3 star rating).

The writing style is simple, with no complex dialogue. Honor and Dom both question the world around them, and ponder deep thoughts, but it comes across as elementary. Dom is depicted as the Renaissance man, of which there is no doubt that he is, but the portrayal seemed oversimplified. It is as if the author used the basic facts of what it meant to live in that time as a description, as opposed to actually getting into the character's head and living in that time. They are obviously two intelligent people, but I didn't pick up too much depth to them.

Things seemed to happen too easily for our characters as well. They did not have to try to hard to accomplish what they needed. Finding a missing ancestor (after 400 years and about 20 generations), buying some marble and carving a masterpiece in 3 months, finding homeless people in New York City, and many other incidents, make for a lack of credibility in the story. There is also a heavy leaning into the spiritual and faith in God. Although there is nothing wrong with using this as a literary device, it is not my usual preference. Since that last criticism is a subjective offering, I feel compelled to add that I did enjoy reading this story, and recommend it for those looking for an enjoyable, easy read.

What hot-blooded American woman hasn't dreamed of Michelangelo's masterpiece coming to life. I used to have daydreams about it. So you can imagine how interested I was when I saw the cover of this book. And the story definitely didn't disappoint, even if it wasn't actually "the" statue of David but a statue of the man who posed for the sculpture who has actually come to life in present day America. Although somewhat simplistic, as many romances are prone to be, it was nonetheless a walloping read and I really loved the ending. It was somewhat surprising to me that Honor chose to do what she did to stay in Dom's life.

In spite of the editorial errors in the book (blame IBM Press) and the rather pointless pedantic goings-on in these reviews about the use of the word "quality", this is a most worthwhile manual. Hargis presents her strategy of ensuring that technical documents reflect accuracy, clarity, completeness, concreteness, organization, retrievability, style, task orientation and visual effectiveness. She devotes a chapter to each concept and offers relevant examples to show aspiring tech writers how to apply the concepts to their own work. This is not just a grammar book; it is a well thought out set of tactics that help generate a worthwhile technical document. I'd like to see future editions of this expand into the area of data gathering and instructional system design. Nevertheless, the concepts Hargis describes here are worthwhile, as is this book.

This is a self-explanatory book for people that have to write information (mostly technical) for others: books, manuals, online info, papers, etc. It has even comments for presentations.

It includes advice when you expect international audience (for example, information in the Web), readers that are non-native speakers of English, color-blind people, etc.

It covers lists, tables, charts, colors, figures, and so on. The book works only with before-and-after examples. But it also has first-, second- and third-revision examples.

About the typos, forgive whoever did them, and take advantage of the excellent contents of the book. I highly recommend it.

What a great book! Ms. Hargis has developed a manual that provides readily-accessible and practical information regarding the technical writing process. I actually read (yes, read) this book from cover to cover. Hargis practices what she preaches, by designing a tech writing book with the actual tech writing skills she prescribes. I use this book almost as often as my dictionary and my Microsoft Manual of Style.

One of the most impressive aspects of this book is the vast amount of tech writing examples that can be incorporated into actual documentation. Instead of merely telling the writer what steps to take, Hargis actually SHOWS the writer what to do. How refreshing to read a handbook that actually illustrates tech writing techniques.

The book also provides a multitude of checklists that show the writer the logical progression of the documentation.

A definite must for your stack of books next to your computer.

This book is chocked-full of Irish traditions, superstions, and folklore! I am "a little bit" Irish and therefore may use a few suggestions in my own wedding. The only down-side in using this book is that there are few practical suggestions on how to incorporate the information into your wedding, so you have to use your imagination. I found it an interesting read, though overall.

This is truly one of the most well-written and all-inclusive books on the topic of Irish weddings. (And I've seen most of them!) When my wife and I first discussed the idea of an Irish wedding, I must admit I expected green beer and kissing of blarney stones. I really didn't expect to have any input or interest in the plans at all. My wife's purchase of this book, while not making me an expert on celtic traditions, has given me a new vantage of the elegant and classic themes present in Irish ceremonies. This beautiful book has maintained its place at the top of our collection, and will remain there for years to come--both as a reminder of our ceremony and as an aesthetically attractive addition to our coffee table.

This book has many great ideas. I am just planning my wedding now, and I only have 2 months to go. I like the ideas for theme/decorating because several choices are provided, and all are simple and not too costly. I especially like the section on Irish flowers. It includes the meaning of each type of flower. And wearing an old pair of shoes on your wedding day is lucky. How great (and smart)!